Can I change electricity provider

[teaginandlaughter]

Am currently with EON next, the worst provider ever even before the crisis! Would it be worth changing? All comparisons sites are down! I don't pay direct debit, just what I use! I have a smart metre so they know my readings. My bill will go up from average £35 a month to £150! This seems crazy to pay for a two bedroom property that has an oil boiler and I am not home during the day, so only have a couple of lights on during the night. (Or am I being really naive) my fixed term ends end of October so only really looking into now! As I just had to deal with my remortgage this week! FFS

I have just left them for Octopus yesterday after being moved to them when our previous supplier went bust. I had to call to ask to move but once I explained that I wanted to leave because Eon Next's customer service is rubbish they went through the figures and were happy to do it. I have a referral link if you'd like it to get a £50 credit each for us both if you want PM me for it. Swap should be completed in 3 days so very quick

Dont go anywhere near OVO energy!!
Since SSE moved me to them, i cannot believe the amount of fuck ups theyve made, or how much of my life has been spent trying to sort it! (still not there yet)

I second not to go with sse/ ovo. The amount of distress they’ve caused me and personally and presumably thousands of others ,should be illegal. Zero accountability for a chain of monumental fuck ups, really criminal practices, non existent customer service , and extortionate bills. And no regulation from the industry regulator, because of their inability to engage with a proper complaints process and their evasive methods of failing to record any issues raised.

Just to add to my rant, if I was charging sse/ ovo an hourly rate for my time spent trying to communicate with them, their bill would run in to thousands. It has at times, taken over my life (for an absolute basic level of transparency and customer service)

OMG Cellar, i thought it was just me!!
I cannot actually believe how bad they are!!!, and i cant even leave, because SSE correctly migrated me over £795 in credit and i arrived the same day according to OVO £795 in debt.
I'm almost at a i. cant. take. it. anymore. stage

@Mykittensaremyfriends that sounds promising are they cheaper or same price just better service?

Yes you can - another advocate of Octopus here - full control of billing and direct debit payments.

If anyone wants to switch with my code, either use this link or quote "Ashen-Jade-551" if you switch by phone and you'll get £50 off your first bill too which is an extra bonus.

share.octopus.energy/ashen-jade-551

@supertato32 the official advice is not to change supplier at the moment as all suppliers are priced at the Government price cap however when they gave me the figures they are fractionally cheaper on the standing charge and even if the prices were exactly the same I'd have moved anyway as not impressed with Eon. Also used a referral so will get a £50 credit on my account. Their customer service has been markedly better so far so happy I've swapped.
This is the link they sent me when I first spoke to them so I could decide:

octopus.energy/blog/energy-price-cap-oct-2022/

@supertato32 here is my referral link if you'd like to use it and anyone else wanting to swap

share.octopus.energy/sunny-teal-429

The chances are that if you do swap, you'll only be offered the standard variable rate, so no real benefit now. We need to wait for some decent fixed deals. Could be a while.

I’ve been with Ovo for years and have never had any problem with them at all but perhaps they are inundated due to energy firms collapsing. Generally they are really helpful.

Octopus is pricing their standing charge at 4% below the cap so there is a tiny saving. Their app is good and you can see your balance and change your direct debit easily

The benefit is the significantly better customer service! Octopus are fantastic at customer service. They're responsive, helpful and tell the actual truth. Not common for energy suppliers!

Any idea how i email a photo of my final SSE statement to them Minny??
The email address they gave me at 4.00 today, no longer exists..
Googling has given me no answers..

There is that! But I would still wait for a month at least. That said, I guess you have nothing to lose :-)

Please send to me too thanks !!

@stevalnamechanger if you use my link below it will take you through to their page or if you call them then you'll just need to tell them you have been referred and quote "sunny-teal-429" for them to apply the credit. Thank you!
share.octopus.energy/sunny-teal-429

Watching, fellow ovo hater and stuck with them. They won’t let us leave as they have our address wrong, promise to change it, never do. It’s been a year ffs.

@Workinghardeveryday Octopus are signed up to the Energy Switch Guarantee so promise the switch goes smoothly and they contact your old supplier to arrange it all so you don't have to. Guaranteed to be swapped within 21 days but mine has been done in 3! So glad I decided to do it.

If you decide to make the move to Octopus please use my link below - it will take you through to their page or if you call them then you'll just need to tell them you have been referred and quote "sunny-teal-429" for them to apply the £50 credit to both our accounts. Thank you!

share.octopus.energy/sunny-teal-429

Another vote for Octopus and he's my referral code if anyone else wants to join (we each get £50 credit out of the deal)

share.octopus.energy/loved-moon-894

OP on the matter of your price rise, if you're coming off an old fix, there's been a big rise in the daily standing charge to 46 p a day, so you'll spend £14 a month before you use any electricity at all, then it's likely that the rate has increased significantly too. Our last fix that expired a few months ago was 15 p a unit, now the unit rate at the price cap is 34 so more than double.

www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-if-energy-price-cap-affects-you

But as for whether £150 pm is reasonable for you, which I don't think it is, you need to find out your average annual usage, which will be on your bill and use that to work out how much you should be paying per year, adding on the standing charge and then dividing by 12, to get a monthly figure, which will be discounted for the next 6 months, to account for the £400 government credit.

If you're heating on oil, your electricity might not vary by a huge amount across the year, so it might not make a big difference whether you pay by fixed or variable DD. We've always paid a fixed amount, so we spread the cost of winter heating bills.

Is it Octopus that’s offering a reduced rate tariff for 3-4 hours every night? Useful if you have an electric car, or can set a timer for a load of washing.

@ByeByeMissAmericanPie yes they do offer that and other tariffs for electric cars etc

Thanks @Mykittensaremyfriends

You're welcome!

I’ve recently moved and the supplier is British Gas I’ve not set up an account yet with them as they want £167 a month where I know the previous occupant paid around £70 (it’s a warm house so doesn’t need heating on ) . I would like to switch as British Gas are insistent I pay by direct debit which I don’t want to do I want to pay for what I use each month . Does Octopus insiist on direct debit ? I’ve saw the switch links people have posted but they don’t let me switch online .